Building-block.



, PATENTED MAR. s, 1903.

L. P. NORMANDIN.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. 1902.

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q f M. a r M A O J L Y J v IWWMGQS Len z: 7? Worm/await) m No. 721,825. PATENTED MAR. a, 1903.

L. P. NORMANDIN. BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED we. 4, 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

TMW? Levi P No rmwnaln n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI P. NORMANDIN, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO WILLIAM F. OOWHAM, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,825, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed August 4, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI P. NORMANDIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to the construction of building-blocks formed from artificial stone or tile and intended for use in building hollow walls.

The invention consists in the peculiar form of the block, and, further, in the construction whereby the block may be handled in constructing the wall without danger of injury, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a section of wall built from my improved blocks. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the block. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a slightlymodified construction. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a block, showing the construction by which it may be readily handled in building the wall. Fig. 5 is a section through the block, and Fig. 6 is a similar section through a modified construction. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan of a number of blocks arranged in a wall.

It is one of the objects of the invention to obtain a construction by which a hollow wall may be built having intercommunicating spaces.

It is also an object to enable the builder to break the joints by overlapping the successive tiers or blocks.

It is a still further object to form the entire Width of the Wall by a single block.

In its simplest form my improved block comprises a body portion A of rectangular and preferably oblong form. This body is cut away in the center to leave a hollow space B, which preferably comprises about one-third of the width of the block and leaving separate walls 0 and 0 upon opposite sides thereof. These walls are connected at the ends of the blocks by the portion D and D. At one or both ends of the block is arranged a projecting portion E, which is pref- Serial No.'1l8,386. (N0 model.)

diagonally opposite ends of the block. Both of these constructions are adapted for building a hollow wall by placing adjacent blocks so that the flanges E will be upon opposite sides of the wall. Where the construction shown in Fig. 2 is used, the blocks are arranged alternately, with their flanged ends extending in opposite directions. Thus in the wall a pair of blocks will be joined by adjacent flanges E, while the third block will abut against the second with its square end. In the second tier'of blocks the flanged joint may be registered with the square joint, and thus an interlockingeffect is produced. The corners of the wall can be formed either by arranging two square ends in adjacence or by arranging the square end of one block adjacent to the flanged end of the other. In the latter case it is necessary to fill the gap by a small block, such asG, similar in shape to'the flange E.

With the construction shown in Fig. 3 the wall may be built by arranging the blocks in the same manner throughout the entire length. The corners can then be formed by an arrangement such as shown in Fig. 1, in which one of the flanges E overlaps the end of the flange of the adjacent block.

With either construction a hollow wall is produced in which the space within the blocks are in intercommunication. In practice I preferably employ both forms of block in building the same wall, as this enables me not only to break all of the joints, but to form a more irregular arrangement having the appearance of hand-cut stone.

For forming the joint between the adjacent ends of the blocks they may be coated with cement and mortar before being placed together. As it is, however, difficult to form a tight joint in this manner, I preferably provide the blocks'with grooves, such as H, at their opposite ends, which when the blocks are placed in adjacence form a vertical passage therebetween. This may be then filled with mortar, which may be tightly rammed in, so as to form a bridge between the blocks and to entirely fill the crevice.

As the blocks are of considerable weight, it is desirable to provide means of supporting each block so as to leave a space therebetween for the mortar. This is accomplished by forming a rib, such as 1, extending longitudinally of each of the sides 0 and C. In the formation of blocks by molding it has been found difficult to form a rib, such as I, without danger of occasionally stripping the same OK in removing the block from the mold, and it has also been found that where a rib starts to strip it will generally pull off for the entire length. To avoid this difiiculty, I have formed the rib I so as to produce a broken line. As shown in Fig. 3, this is formed by making the rib of a zigzag shape; but the same effect could be produced in forming the rib in sections, having breaks therebetween, as shown in Fig. 2. Either construction is capable of being molded without danger of stripping off the rib in removing from the mold.

The lifting and setting of large buildingblocks has been found to be a difficult operation, and in practice the blocks where lifted by the grappling device having an exterior engagement are frequently injured before being placed in position. I have avoided this difiiculty by arranging lifting-shoulders on the inner face of the block, adapted to be engaged by a grappling device entering the hollow space B. As shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, these lifting-shoulders are formed by recesses J in the walls 0 and O. In Fig. 5 these recesses extend to the bottom of the stone, and thus form only the bearing-shoulders K; but in the construction shown in Fig. 6 shoulders K and K are formed so that the block may be lifted equally well when either side is up. Two pairs of these lifting-shoulders are preferably formed, arranged, respectively, at opposite ends of the block and adapted to engage with a pair of grappling devices, such as shown at L in Fig. 4. These grappling devices may be connected to a common bar or yoke M, having a central lifting-hook N. The construction of the lifting device does not, however, form any part of the present invention, which relates solely to the construction of block. With the arrangement described the mason can easily lift and place the blocks by first engaging the lifting device with the shoulders K and then guiding the block in position. As the lifting device engages with the inner face of the block only, it is obvious that the latter may be placed in exact position before it is disengaged, and

this avoids the necessity of sliding the block over the one beneath.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A building-block comprising a hollow body having the inner face of a wall thereof provided with a vertical groove or recess forming an undercut lifting-shoulder.

2. A building-block comprising a hollow body having parallel separated side Walls with the intermediate space extending completely through the block, and the inner faces of said side walls being provided with vertical grooves or recesses forming complementary undercut lifting-shoulders.

3. A building-block comprising a rectangular hollow body having parallel side walls, the inner faces of said walls being provided with vertical grooves or recesses to form undercut lifting-shoulders.

4. A building-block comprising a hollow rectangular body having separated parallel side walls, said walls being provided with vertical grooves or recesses in the inner faces of their opposite sides to form lifting-shoulders, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

5. A building-block comprising a body and a supporting-rib on the bottom thereof in the form of a zigzag line.

6. A building-block comprising a rectangular body and a flange projecting from one end thereof, the length of said flange being equal to the width of the body less the thickness of the flange.

7. The combination with a building-block comprising a rectangular body having separated side walls with an intermediate space extending completely through the block, and one of said side walls being extended beyond the end of the block, of a block corresponding to said extension-piece adapted to be placed opposite the same to complete both walls and leave a hollow space therebetween.

8. A hollow wall composed of a series of blocks each block comprising a rectangular body having separated side walls and an extension at the end of the body formed by one of said walls; said blocks being assembled with the extension on adjacent ends of adjoining blocks arranged upon opposite sides of the Wall so that the joints are in different planes; and a hollow space is left between extensions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI P. NORMANDIN.

WVitnesses:

A. G. ROBERTSON, M. B. ODOGHERTY. 

